6-Bromo-2-naphthol is a compound which has particular value as an intermediate in the preparation of non-steroidal antiinflammatory agents, such as 4-(6-methoxy-2-naphthyl)-2-butanone (commonly known as nabumetone) and 2-(6-methoxy-2-naphthyl)-propionic acid (commonly known as naproxen), via 6-bromo-2-methoxynaphthalene.
As disclosed in British Patent 380,563 (I. G. Farbenindustrie), it is known that 6-bromo-2-naphthol can be prepared by the hydrodebromination of 1,6-dibromo-2-naphthol with an alkali metal sulfite in an aqueous or aqueous-alcoholic solvent. This process is commercially unattractive, however, because of its requiring long reaction times to achieve good yields, e.g., 12 hours at reflux temperature to obtain a 99% yield when potassium sulfite is used and 30 hours at reflux temperature to obtain only a 90% yield when sodium sulfite is employed.
It would be desirable to be able to utilize an alkali metal sulfite as the hydrodebrominating agent in the preparation of 6-bromo-2-naphthol and its derivatives without requiring the long reaction times of I. G. Farbenindustrie for the hydrodebromination reaction.